PA23 pilot on an IFR flight plan departs non-twred airport without a departure release.

Attributes
ACN	590371
Time
Date	200308
Day	Mon
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dts.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc tower : sps.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-23-250 Turbo Aztec
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors departure : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 33 flight time total : 520 flight time type : 17
ASRS Report	590371
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : clearance delivery
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance Airport Aircraft Navigational Facility ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I contacted vps clearance delivery. They gave me the following clearance: cleared as filed, climb and maintain 2000 ft, expect 6000 ft in 10 mins. Hold for departure, squawk XXXX, contact departure. Readback was correct. At the same time, I was thinking, how to hold for departure at a non-twred airport. I tried to contact departure to let them know I was ready on the ground at dts. No response. It tried again, no response. After 1 min, I returned to clearance delivery and his response was departure is 121.6. I should have pressed him further to clear up the situation, but didn't. I returned to 121.6 and listened for approximately 1 min to total silence. I performed 3 radio checks with dts unicom before contacting clearance delivery on this particular morning. On problems. So, a third time, I tried to contact departure with still no response. At this time, I decided I could get them better in the air. However, upon establishing communication after takeoff at 300 ft MSL, they informed me I was to hold for departure. When I confirmed I was in the air, they told me to maintain VFR and fly heading 360 degrees, to which I complied. Within 1 min, I was reprimanded by departure. He told me to climb and maintain 6000 ft, maintain 360 degree heading and expect on course shortly. He then asked if I was familiar with part 93. I said, 'yes, I am. However, I could not establish radio communication on the ground after several attempts to reach departure.' there was no communication heard from departure to or from any traffic while on the ground. After takeoff, I was able to establish communication. The IFR flight continued without problem. It was very confusing to be on the ground at a non-twred airport, told to 'hold for departure' and then not be able to establish communication with departure or hear any radio communication on that frequency at all. Trying to get clearance delivery to assist proved to be fruitless. During the flight home, I came to the conclusion that the proper, safe thing to do would have been to taxi the airplane back to the FBO, shut down the engines, contact clearance delivery by phone and ask for a clearance on the ground with a void time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA23 PLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN DEPARTS NON-TWRED ARPT WITHOUT A DEP RELEASE.

Narrative: I CONTACTED VPS CLRNC DELIVERY. THEY GAVE ME THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: CLRED AS FILED, CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT, EXPECT 6000 FT IN 10 MINS. HOLD FOR DEP, SQUAWK XXXX, CONTACT DEP. READBACK WAS CORRECT. AT THE SAME TIME, I WAS THINKING, HOW TO HOLD FOR DEP AT A NON-TWRED ARPT. I TRIED TO CONTACT DEP TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS READY ON THE GND AT DTS. NO RESPONSE. IT TRIED AGAIN, NO RESPONSE. AFTER 1 MIN, I RETURNED TO CLRNC DELIVERY AND HIS RESPONSE WAS DEP IS 121.6. I SHOULD HAVE PRESSED HIM FURTHER TO CLR UP THE SIT, BUT DIDN'T. I RETURNED TO 121.6 AND LISTENED FOR APPROX 1 MIN TO TOTAL SILENCE. I PERFORMED 3 RADIO CHKS WITH DTS UNICOM BEFORE CONTACTING CLRNC DELIVERY ON THIS PARTICULAR MORNING. ON PROBS. SO, A THIRD TIME, I TRIED TO CONTACT DEP WITH STILL NO RESPONSE. AT THIS TIME, I DECIDED I COULD GET THEM BETTER IN THE AIR. HOWEVER, UPON ESTABLISHING COM AFTER TKOF AT 300 FT MSL, THEY INFORMED ME I WAS TO HOLD FOR DEP. WHEN I CONFIRMED I WAS IN THE AIR, THEY TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN VFR AND FLY HDG 360 DEGS, TO WHICH I COMPLIED. WITHIN 1 MIN, I WAS REPRIMANDED BY DEP. HE TOLD ME TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT, MAINTAIN 360 DEG HDG AND EXPECT ON COURSE SHORTLY. HE THEN ASKED IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH PART 93. I SAID, 'YES, I AM. HOWEVER, I COULD NOT ESTABLISH RADIO COM ON THE GND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH DEP.' THERE WAS NO COM HEARD FROM DEP TO OR FROM ANY TFC WHILE ON THE GND. AFTER TKOF, I WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM. THE IFR FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT PROB. IT WAS VERY CONFUSING TO BE ON THE GND AT A NON-TWRED ARPT, TOLD TO 'HOLD FOR DEP' AND THEN NOT BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH DEP OR HEAR ANY RADIO COM ON THAT FREQ AT ALL. TRYING TO GET CLRNC DELIVERY TO ASSIST PROVED TO BE FRUITLESS. DURING THE FLT HOME, I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE PROPER, SAFE THING TO DO WOULD HAVE BEEN TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE BACK TO THE FBO, SHUT DOWN THE ENGS, CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY BY PHONE AND ASK FOR A CLRNC ON THE GND WITH A VOID TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.